Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private S. W. Crewe, Wiltshire Regiment, late Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, died of wounds, 22 March 1918

1914-15 Star (1675 Pte., R. Wilts. Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals (1675 Pte., R. Wilts. Yeo.) extremely fine (3)
£140-180

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Great War Medals to Yeomanry Regiments.

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Sidney William Crewe lived in and enlisted at Chippenham, Wiltshire and served with the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry. He was the son of Arthur Edward Crewe of Malthouse Cottages, Corston, Malmesbury, Wiltshire. Crewe was one of 25 officers and 350 yeomen of the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry who were sent as reinforcements to the 6th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment which had taken over two hundred casualties in the heavy fighting at Passchendaele in August/September 1917. The reinforced battalion was again heavily engaged October-December 1917 taking heavy casualties but worse was to come. The 6th Battalion was holding a position at Bapaume when on 21 March 1918 the German Spring Offensive was unleashed. Crewe was wounded and died on 22 March, aged 21 years. He was buried in the Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy. The battalion was overwhelmed in the attack and the remnants forced back - suffering total casualties of 20 officers and 500 other ranks by the end of the month. With copied research.